While goats are known for their susceptibility to parasites, and the difficulty in finding effective means of parasite control, Kikos are known for parasite resistance.To preserve this quality in the breed, responsible breeders select for parasite resistance as a means of prevention. Prevention is important, but management is a key component as well. Treatment should only be offered when absolutely necessary, not routinely, as has commonly been the practice.

There are five key measures to managing a herd for parasites:

1. Select breeding stock with parasite resistance

2. Employ a system of rotational grazing. If you are space limited, do not graze forage below a height of 3 inches. Remove animals from pasture and feed supplementally off of the ground in dry lot until the pasture rebounds for grazing.

3. Use FAMACHA scoring on the herd to identify the animals that are not performing well.

4. Do fecal egg counts to determine the parasite load on the animals that are identified.

5. Target treatment for a specific parasite rather than administering broad spectrum treatments.